Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, Coahuayana Valley, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A large hollow pottery figure of a seated woman. She sits with her hands on her knees; her head is cylindrical and acts as a spout with a wide, flared rim. She has a slightly extended belly and exaggerated genitals. Coahuayana style like this jar comes from the southwest coast of Colima, associated with the archaeological sites along the Coahuayana River that separates modern Colima state from Michoacan. These figures are large, hollow, painted overall red and/or brown, and often have the applied pellet design on their shoulders as this one does. Bowls, like the one shown here, are thought to be a symbol of leadership. Perhaps this was made to be a portrait of a real, powerful individual in this region of Colima. Size: 6.75" W x 11.3" H (17.1 cm x 28.7 cm)

Colima, located on Mexico's southwestern coast, was during this time part of the shaft tomb culture, along with neighbors to the north in Jalisco and Nayarit. In this culture, the dead were buried down shafts -- 3 to 20 meters deep -- that were dug vertically or near vertically through the volcanic tuff that makes up the geology of the region. The base of the shaft would open into one or more horizontal chambers with a low ceiling. These shafts were almost always dug beneath a dwelling, probably a family home, and seem to have been used as family mausoleums, housing the remains of many related individuals. Terracotta figures like this one are found throughout the tomb, usually in a circle around the bodies. They seem to have been intermediaries between the living and the dead.

Provenance: Ex-Bill Freeman collection acquired in the early 1980's

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#117884

Minor losses to one side of rim, as shown.